MMA Q&A
How can I reduce the risk of ringworm, staph and herpes infections at an MMA gym?
Arrive in clean kit, shower with soap after practice and use your own towel. If you or a partner develops a new suspicious rash, painful sore or cluster of blisters, stop skin-to-skin drills and arrange a medical assessment before returning to contact.
On this page
Three infections can look different
Ringworm is a fungal infection. It can form an itchy, scaly patch whose color varies with skin tone. Staph bacteria can cause warm, swollen, painful sores or drainage. Herpes gladiatorum can cause grouped blisters and spreads through direct skin contact. A photograph or a teammate's guess cannot establish which one you have.
At the gym and back home
Tell the coach privately about a suspicious lesion. A strip of tape over a rash does not settle whether you can wrestle. Cover clean cuts with a clean, dry dressing, avoid sharing towels or razors and wash your hands after handling dressings or dirty kit. Wash training clothes after each use and dry them fully.
When to seek care
Seek care promptly for a painful, swollen or draining sore. Get medical care immediately for a blistering lesion in or near an eye. Tell the clinician that training involves sustained skin contact, and ask when you can rejoin and whether the event has additional return criteria.